Betts, who was placed on the seven-day concussion list earlier this week, is in a “much-improved state” after a good day Saturday, according to Red Sox manager John Farrell.

“Mookie seemed to turn a corner yesterday,” Farrell said before Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. “Headache has disappeared.”

Betts suffered a concussion Tuesday night when he tumbled over the right field wall and into the Red Sox’s bullpen at Fenway Park while trying to make a catch against the Chicago White Sox. The 22-year-old must go through Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol before returning to action, but he was scheduled to undergo exertion testing Sunday that involved running on a treadmill and riding a stationary bike.

“Even when he says he runs up stairs there’s no dizziness, there’s no pressure in the head,” Farrell said Sunday. “That wasn’t the case two days ago. So like I said, he seemingly has turned a corner.”

Betts will not travel to New York for the Red Sox’s three-game series against the Yankees. He’s expected to join the Red Sox in Detroit, where they begin a three-game series Friday against the Tigers.

Larry Lucchino announced Saturday that he’d be stepping down as Boston Red Sox president and CEO at the end of the season, and he likely already has a successor.

COO Sam Kennedy joined the Red Sox with Lucchino in 2002 and has been working under him since then. Kennedy already has Lucchino’s endorsement to be promoted to team president and said he’s learned some very important details about the job in the meantime.

“It’s work ethic,” Kennedy said on NESN’s “Red Sox Gameday Live” ahead of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. “We need to outwork our competition. What does that mean? That means being here day in (and) day out, being responsive to every fan whether it’s an email or a phone call, getting back to people, driving an agenda hard.

“Larry’s work ethic, I hope has rubbed off on me. I know it’s rubbed off on legions of baseball executives out there in Major League Baseball.”

Dobson caught just three passes for 38 yards last season, following up on a 37-catch, 519-yard rookie campaign. A foot injury leftover from 2013 plagued Dobson early in his second season, and the year ended in a whimper for the former second-round draft pick after a hamstring injury in Week 12.

Hopes were at an all-time low for Dobson as he entered his third season, fighting for a spot on the Patriots’ roster with fellow wideouts Brian Tyms, Brandon Gibson and Josh Boyce. Suddenly, Dobson looks like the favorite for the Patriots’ No. 4 receiver role as he’s making the most of his opportunities working with the first team as starter Brandon LaFell nurses an injury.

“I feel that the longer you’re in a system, the more comfortable you’re going to get,” Dobson said Sunday after shining in practice. “The more repetitions you get, the more comfortable you get. This is my third year being in the offense so I’m just getting more comfortable as time goes on.”

The play of Day 4 of training camp came on a pass from quarterback Tom Brady to Dobson in 11-on-11 drills. Dobson went up and over cornerback Malcolm Butler, who was in tight coverage, to make a spectacular grab at midfield.

“He just threw it up, and I made a play,” Dobson said. “I saw the ball in the air, and I tried to make a play on it.”

Butler, who also had a solid practice, explained the play in greater detail.

“I know I was in good position,” Butler said. “The sun out here, it was shining real bright. I kind of lost the ball at the same time. I think he bumped me a little bit, but not to take any credit from Dobson. Great play. When you have those opportunities, you gotta make them. You just gotta make them.”

It’s plays like those that will earn Dobson much-needed trust from Brady, which seemed to be lacking at times during his rookie season.

“It takes time,” Dobson said. “Just being out here, gaining his trust, just out here making plays. Play after play, he’s throwing it up. I’ve got to make a play for him to trust me.”

Dobson also seems to be earning trust from head coach Bill Belichick, who noted that the receiver is ahead of schedule from where he was the last two seasons.

“I think Aaron has got good talent,” Belichick said Friday. “He’s dealt with some physical setbacks over the first couple years, so those have been — he came into the spring in great shape, worked hard, got a lot of reps in the spring. I think that’s put him much further ahead than probably where he’s been at this time in either of the past two years. But again, it’s just going to be about going forward and how all that works out and translates in competitive situations out on the field. We’ll just have to see how it goes. But he’s put himself in good position. He’s in good shape, he’s worked hard, he’s gotten a lot of reps in the spring. So, we’ll see how it turns out.”

BOSTON — Ryan Cook was playing cards Friday in a Triple-A clubhouse in Nashville when he received a call from Oakland Athletics assistant general manager David Forst informing him he had been traded to the Red Sox just before the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline.

Cook’s now ready for whatever.

“I’m excited. I’m excited to get over here,” Cook said before Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays upon joining the Red Sox at Fenway Park. “I got the call and I couldn’t get on the plane fast enough to get over here.”

Cook will give the Red Sox additional bullpen depth down the stretch, though his specific role within the unit is unclear. Boston can use the final two months of the season to determine whether the right-handed reliever might fit into its major league plans for 2016. The 28-year-old has had success at the big league level in the past, so he represents a buy-low acquisition with upside for the Red Sox.

“Honest to goodness, I haven’t had a chance (to discuss my role with the Red Sox),” Cook said. “I got on the plane, got here, got in late. I’ll fit in wherever they need me to fit in.”

Cook appeared in just four games with the A’s this season after making 54 appearances for Oakland in 2014. He totaled 142 appearances between 2012 and 2013, during which he posted a 2.30 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings over 140 2/3 innings. He was an American League All-Star in 2012.

“It’s been a wild ride this year for me, for sure,” said Cook, who posted a 4.05 ERA in 30 appearances with Triple-A Nashville before Friday’s trade. “It’s been a grind. But as of late, it’s been a lot better and I’m excited to get here and help as much as I can.

“I tried to change a few things up in spring training, and in doing so, it pushed me back and then I kind of had to learn my delivery over again,” Cook added of his up-and-down 2015 campaign. “It took a little bit longer than I wanted it to, but I feel like I’m back to where I need to be.”

The Red Sox’s clubhouse is full of new faces for Cook, who knows most of them only through playing against them. But Cook came up in the Arizona Diamondbacks system with Red Sox starter Wade Miley, so perhaps that will help ease his transition into a new setting.

Believe it or not, there once was a time when people wanted the Boston Red Sox out of Fenway Park. But President and CEO Larry Lucchino played a big part in keeping the team in its iconic home.

After Lucchino announced Saturday that he’d be stepping down from his position at the end of the season, NESN Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy reflected on Lucchino’s accomplishments during his tenure. Remy said on “Red Sox First Pitch” ahead of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays it’s likely the Red Sox would be playing in another park if it wasn’t for Lucchino, as he was the one who helped put seats on the Green Monster and oversaw extensive renovations of the 103-year-old ballpark in his 13-year run.

FOXBORO, Mass. — It’s not a coincidence that Malcolm Butler finds himself lined up across from Julian Edelman more often than not in New England Patriots training camp.

Last year, those Edelman reps went to former Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis. Now Butler has stepped into that No. 1 role, which shows the kind of expectations Patriots coaches have for Butler

“They don’t have to say it,” Butler said Sunday after Day 4 of training camp. “I know that in my brain by the fans, by the coaches, by y’all right here. I expect that.”

Butler, who said over the offseason that he doesn’t want to be a one-play wonder, is showing his promise in training camp, despite going against the best the Patriots have to offer. He deflected passes thrown to Edelman and wide receiver Aaron Dobson on Sunday, and he’s hard on himself when he allows a catch.

“It means a lot,” Butler said about guarding Edelman. “He’s not the only guy I’m guarding. I’m guarding everybody. It’s not just his skills, I want to go against everybody. I want to go against the best just like everybody else wants to go against the best.”

Butler is even goading quarterback Tom Brady to throw his way during team drills. Brady and Edelman both stopped to talk trash to Butler after completing a pass in the end zone during individual drills.

Edelman popped up and spun the ball at Butler’s feet after the catch, and the receiver and his quarterback leapt up to chest bump, but there were no hard feelings.

“A little bit of trash talk each way won’t hurt,” Butler said. “It brings the best out of both sides. Yeah, it most definitely makes it more fun. Talk a little trash, play around and all about working at the same time. …

“Most people talk and can’t back it up. (Edelman)’s one of the guys that can back it up. That’s all I got to say about that.”

Butler is in a much different place than he was last training camp, when he was a surprising standout after going undrafted out of West Alabama. Now he’s receiving starting reps, guarding Edelman and trading trash talk with Brady, but he’s not getting complacent.

“I never think too much of myself,” Butler said. “I come out here like I’m coming in last year, as an undrafted free agent again. I gotta come out here with my hair on fire, play like my hair’s on fire and just play hard.”

Jermaine Wiggins learned his true feelings about salt water when he joined Charlie Moore in the latest episode of “Charlie Moore Outdoors.”

The former New England Patriots tight end went out on the ocean with the Mad Fisherman, but as it turned out, Wiggins preferred calmer waters and spent most of the trip seasick. Moore admitted that the fishing wasn’t as good, either.

But once Wiggins and Moore were off the open sea, the Super Bowl champion was much happier.

You can catch Wiggins on “Charlie Moore Outdoors” Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NESN.

Larry Lucchino is stepping down as president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox.

Lucchino, who turns 70 in September, has been with the Red Sox since the current ownership group purchased the club in February 2002. Boston has won three World Series in that stretch.

Lucchino issued the following statement Sunday:

“As far back as 2004, the year of our first world championship, I started to plan for the day when I would want to cut back a little. I even inserted a clause to that effect in my contract.

Then, after the 2013 season, I had further conversations with John Henry, Tom Werner, and Mike Gordon regarding a time in the future when I might transition to a new role and reduce my responsibilities. After all, it’s a wonderful job, but it’s a demanding job.

I believe the end of this year is a good time for this change. We would have preferred to announce all of our transition plans at once, including my new role, but I can tell you we all feel strongly that Sam Kennedy, who has been with me for 20 years, should be the next President of the Boston Red Sox. Sam will do a terrific job. He is able, well-prepared, and fiercely dedicated to the Red Sox and to Boston.

I have been blessed to have outstanding partners, and I plan to continue working with John, Tom, Mike, Sam, and all of our partners in meeting the challenges that lie ahead for the Red Sox. I am also deeply proud of our extraordinary front office. They work together harmoniously and effectively, and each member has my gratitude, admiration, and respect.

I have now been President/CEO of the Red Sox for 14 years. I love the Red Sox, I love Fenway Park, and I love Boston. It’s my home. It’s never easy to leave a job you love, but I look forward to the next chapters.”

Aaron Dobson has made a positive impression through four days of training camp after a lost sophomore season. Dobson made the best play of the day Sunday, when he leaped in the air and caught a pass over Malcolm Butler during 11-on-11 drills from Tom Brady. Butler had great coverage, but Dobson made the better play.

Dobson has been a dependable receiver throughout camp for Brady and backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He appears to have taken a giant leap since his rookie season and is making the most of his opportunities with Brandon LaFell out injured.

— Brady was 11 of 15 in 11-on-11 drills and 6 of 8 in 7-on-7s.

— Garoppolo took one set of first-team reps over Brady. He went 7 of 10 in 11-on-11s and 5 of 7 in 7-on-7s.

— Veteran cornerback Tarell Brown is standing out after being signed over the summer. Wearing No. 9, he’s returning punts and making plays in the secondary. He prevented passes to Brian Tyms and Aaron Dobson in 3-on-3 drills. He got the best of Josh Boyce in 1-on-1s.

— Tyms is struggling so far in training camp. He also was beat by Malcolm Butler in 3-on-3s, Logan Ryan in 11-on-11s and Brown and Darryl Roberts in 7-on-7s.

— Linebacker Jamie Collins made a nice pass deflection during 11-on-11 goal-line drills over tight end Scott Chandler. The Patriots’ offense went 3 of 4 against the defense in the goal-line drills, and Brady threw in some good-natured trash talk at the end. Running backs LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray scored touchdowns.

-Butler and wide receiver Julian Edelman are constantly battling during training camp. That should be great practice for Butler if the Patriots hope to start him this season. Edelman beat Butler 3 of 4 times during 1-on-1 drills. Edelman made a leaping grab on the fourth attempt and spun the ball by Butler’s fallen feet. Butler was all smiles about the play and celebration after practice, so there were no hard feelings.

— Shaq Mason and Tre’ Jackson are seeing the majority of reps at guard with Brady and the offense. That could change once Ryan Wendell returns from injury.

— Jonathan Freeny and James Morris appear to be the top backup linebackers with Dane Fletcher out.

— James White still appears to be the favorite for third-down reps. During a two-minute drill, White was with Brady and Dion Lewis was working with Garoppolo.

The Red Sox placed Porcello on the 15-day disabled list before Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Porcello is dealing with right triceps soreness/inflammation that developed after his last start Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, according to Red Sox manager John Farrell.

“The best we could have done would have been to push him back to Saturday to give him ample time, but felt like that was going to be too much of a risk,” Farrell said. “We feel like it’s a short-term thing, but at the same time, we need to back him out of there, because he wasn’t going to be able to throw a bullpen (Sunday). While the symptoms are improving, there’s still soreness there.”

Porcello was rocked his last time out against Chicago. He allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits, including two home runs, over just two innings en route to his 11th loss of the season. It’s been a disappointing first year in Boston for Porcello, who owns a 5.81 ERA in 20 starts, and this latest setback — described as a “right triceps strain” — certainly doesn’t help matters.

“This wasn’t something that was lingering,” Farrell said. “This just cropped up after this last start.”

The Red Sox, who are off Monday, have yet to name a starter for Tuesday’s series opener against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez are scheduled to start Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

The Red Sox added right-handed reliever Ryan Cook to the active roster Sunday in a corresponding roster move. Boston acquired Cook from the Oakland Athletics before Friday’s Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline.

The Boston Red Sox didn’t change their lineup one bit Sunday after the offense exploded for 11 runs in an 11-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. A win Sunday would give the Red Sox their third sweep of the season and their first against an American League East opponent.

However, Sunday’s lineup means third baseman Pablo Sandoval will be riding the pine for the third straight game after taking a Chris Sale fastball off the forearm Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, forcing him to leave that game early. But Sandoval’s replacement Travis Shaw did just fine Saturday, smacking his first two MLB home runs.

Wade Miley will be on the bump for Boston and certainly will be looking to improve upon his last start. The left-hander was tagged for seven runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work in a 9-4 loss to the White Sox on Tuesday. Miley has had some success against the Rays this season, though, going 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts in two starts against them.

FOXBORO, Mass. — The training camp injuries slowly are piling up for the New England Patriots.

Running back Tyler Gaffney and offensive lineman Kevin Hughes were newly absent for Day 4 of camp Sunday morning. Gaffney took a huge hit from defensive tackle Sealver Siliga but stayed in practice Saturday. Hughes walked off the field midway through Saturday’s session with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.

If you’re looking to send summer out with a bang before the kids head back to school, look no further than the Boston Red Sox’s “End of Summer Family Packs.”

For the Red Sox’s home stretch from Aug. 17 to 23, the team is offering packages that include game tickets, free parking at the Prudential Center Garage, a free Duck Tour ride from the garage to Fenway Park, activity booklets for kids and a hot dog and a soda for each ticket holder. There also will be Duck Tour rides back to the parking lot 30 minutes after the final out.

“We strive to make Fenway Park as accessible as possible for families so that fans of all ages have the opportunity to attend Red Sox games,” Red Sox senior vice president of marketing and brand development Adam Grossman said in a press release. “This program has been a hit with families since it started in 2013. Along with the added convenience of free parking, hot dogs and sodas, the Duck Boat ride to the ballpark creates a memorable Red Sox experience for the entire family, all included in the price of the ticket.”

Tickets start at $32 apiece and are available in the infield and outfield grandstands, the right field box and the bleachers. The home stretch begins with a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians and ends with a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals.

Ronda Rousey vanquished her 12th straight opponent by knocking out Bethe Correia in 34 seconds Saturday night, and it didn’t take her much longer to start talking about future bouts.

After Rousey’s win in UFC 190, it doesn’t seem as though there are any women left who could possibly take her. But there is one woman in Invicta FC who could give Rousey a run for her money, and she’s been trying to make the fight happen for years.

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino fights in Invicta because at 145 pounds, there’s no women’s division for her in UFC. But Rousey is ready to fight her if she can get on her level.

“I’m prepared to deal with anything,” Rousey said, per FOXSports.com. “That’s why I’m the champ. I fight in the UFC 135 pound division. She can fight at 145 pumped full of steroids, and she can make weight just like everybody else without them.”

Rousey’s comments refer to a failed drug test Cyborg had in 2011, when she tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol while fighting in Strikeforce. Cyborg, however, seems ready to drop the weight despite Rousey’s slight, as she posted on Facebook early Sunday that her next Invicta fight would be at 140 pounds.

“My next fight is 140 (pounds), then I hope we get a chance to give fans … the most violent fight in the history of MMA,” Justino wrote.

BOSTON — This isn’t a video game or fantasy baseball. We’re not dealing with trading cards (they still exist, right?) or POGs (remember those?).

The Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline is a nice time to take stock of the league, including one’s own organization, but such due diligence doesn’t always lead to significant movement in the moment. And for the Red Sox, a team stationed in last place in the American League East, that’s OK.

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said after Friday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline that the organization had a “productive” week despite its trade inactivity. According to the GM, the Sox considered options, gathered information and ultimately stepped away from the bargaining table without any new toys but with a much clearer view of the marketplace.

Fair enough. It’s not exactly a jolt of positivity — something Boston could use — amid another disastrous season. And it’s understandably frustrating for a fan base to sit in the corner while the rest of the league parties. But the Red Sox obviously weren’t going to be buyers, at least as it pertains to this season, and they, unlike last season, had very few valuable assets to sell. Standing pat is par for the course.

The Red Sox’s 2016 chances will hinge on what the team’s able to accomplish this offseason. Boston needs to improve in several areas, with pitching and defense being chief among them.

“I see the two as connected. I think we need to improve in both areas,” Cherington said. “Some of that undoubtedly will have to be with some additions from outside. We think we know more about what those possibilities are now than we did a week ago, and a lot of that has to do with improving internally — guys that are here right now, getting more out of those guys. But I think the pitching and defense has to improve, and we see those things as connected.”

Perhaps the Red Sox could have been more proactive in addressing such needs at the deadline, giving them a head-start on their offseason retooling, much like they did last season — or tried to do, at least — when they acquired Joe Kelly, Allen Craig and Yoenis Cespedes (since traded for Rick Porcello) in trades involving John Lackey and Jon Lester. But the Red Sox were under more pressure to make deals in 2014 with Lester and fellow left-hander Andrew Miller set to hit free agency. There was no hourglass this time around.

Sure, there’s probably something to be gained from exposing a player to a new environment for half a season before relying on him for meaningful contributions the following campaign. We’re all humans, and easing into a new setting often is easier than being plopped into the middle of it amid lofty expectations. Acquiring players for next season at this year’s deadline would have made sense in that regard.

But on the other hand, the Red Sox now have more time for internal evaluations before determining which prospects they’re comfortable trading. This is especially important in the cases of Eduardo Rodriguez, Henry Owens and Brian Johnson — any of whom could fit into Boston’s 2016 Opening Day rotation plans.

“We’re willing to give up young talent to build a good team going forward in 2016,” Cherington said. “But we have to look at and consider what alternatives are there, and we pursued some things last week and talked about a lot of different things.”

Look, would it have been cool for the Red Sox to land Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians or Tyson Ross from the San Diego Padres? Sure. Even nabbing Cole Hamels, while more expensive, would have been understandable for a team in desperate need of starting pitching.

But neither Carrasco nor Ross was dealt, and the free-agent market this winter figures to be full of impact arms. So, unless you’re a Hamels fanatic, it’s not like the Red Sox let a huge opportunity slip away, even if it might seem that way on the surface based on their lack of activity relative to others.

Arsenal and Chelsea both have lofty expectations for the 2015-16 Premier League season, which begins later this month. But first, they will square off in the 2015 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

The Gunners are in this game for the second straight year after winning another FA Cup in May. They defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the 2014 Community Shield, and the North London club is hoping to knock off another Premier League champion Sunday.

That won’t be easy, though. Chelsea has a very deep and talented squad, one that has remained largely intact from its title victory last season. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho also has never lost to an Arsene Wenger-led Arsenal team.

BOSTON — While it might be too little, too late, even with 57 games remaining, the Red Sox have looked like a good baseball team dating back to Thursday night.

The Red Sox extended their winning streak to three games Saturday with an 11-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Boston’s offense produced 16 hits, continuing an impressive stretch for the unit.

Saturday’s win improved the Red Sox’s record at home to 27-27, though they’re still 11 games under .500 overall (47-58) and 12 games back of the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East.

— The Red Sox are hitting .332 (84-for-253) with 25 extra-base hits over their last seven games. They’ve scored 51 runs in that stretch, their most in any seven-game stretch since September 2013.

— Travis Shaw, who was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket before the game, led the charge by going 4-for-4 with two homers, a double, a single, a walk, three RBIs and five runs scored.

Shaw needed a triple for the cycle in his final at-bat. He instead launched his second home run.

“It’s in your head. Everybody’s talking about it,” Shaw said of the cycle. “If you hit the ball in the gap, everybody’s like, ‘Don’t stop running.’ But I’ll take the homer.”

Shaw became the first Red Sox player since at least 1914 to record four hits, five runs scored and 11 total bases in a single game. His five runs scored were the most by a Boston rookie since Walt Dropo scored five on June 8, 1950.

— The last Red Sox player before Shaw to hit his first career home run as part of a multihomer performance? Ryan Lavarnway on Sept. 27, 2011, against the Baltimore Orioles.

— Xander Bogaerts made a little history, too.

Bogaerts, who went 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, has six career four-hit games, tying him with Carl Yastrzemski for the second-most four-hit games by a Red Sox player before turning 23 years old. Ted Williams is the only Red Sox player ever to have more four-hit games (eight) before turning 23.

“We’re watching a guy really blossom into his own right in front of our eyes,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “It’s multiple hits a game, he’s right in the middle of it.”

Bogaerts also became the eighth Red Sox player in the last 100 years to compile at least 100 RBIs before turning 23.

— The one question surrounding Bogaerts — it’s admittedly unfair to nitpick given how awesome he’s been this season — pertains to his power and whether his home run numbers will increase as he continues to develop. Bogaerts, who almost homered Saturday, has just three homers this season.

“I know I have the power, so I’m definitely not even worried about that at all,” Bogaerts said. “So as long as I keep doing what I’m doing right now, the power will come.”

Everything else is working just fine for Bogaerts, who’s hitting .319 this season, including .391 (34-for-87) with runners in scoring position. No complaints here.

— Rusney Castillo has looked much more comfortable in his return to Boston. These next two months are huge for the 28-year-old outfielder, as the Red Sox need to see what they have for next season.

Castillo tied a career-high with three hits and three RBIs. He’s hitting .400 (8-for-20) with a home run, two doubles, four RBIs and five runs scored over his last six games.

“The biggest difference from the previous time he was up with us is he’s handling pitches that are close to him,” Farrell said. “The swing is freed up a little bit, where he’s able to address some pitches on the inside part of the plate, where he was being attacked early on the previous time that he was up here with us.”

— Pablo Sandoval, who missed his second straight game after being struck on the wrist/forearm with a pitch Thursday night, swung in the cage Saturday. He’s still considered day to day.

“The strength in the grip is improving,” Farrell said. “There’s still some swelling and soreness there, so we’ll check him (Sunday) whether or not he’s going to be in the lineup (Sunday).”

“That’s how we planned it out, to overwhelm her so she would try and go for the clinch, and it was up to me whether to try to go for the takedown or keep going,” Rousey said in her post-fight interview in the octagon. “I guess she can’t really say anything about my hands anymore, huh?”

Rousey now is 12-0, and she’ll likely face Miesha Tate next for their third meeting. At this stage, just being able to stay upright and in the fight for more than 35 seconds would be a win for any challenger.

Unlike Alexander the Great, Rousey didn’t weep at that thought. She simply made mincemeat of another challenger, Bethe Correia, to retain her UFC bantamweight belt Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro.

Rousey’s 12th win in 12 bouts came by knockout just 34 seconds into the fight, continuing a level of dominance not seen in combat sports since Mike Tyson routinely stunned pay-per-view audiences with first-round KOs. “Iron Mike” once scored six consecutive first-round wins and posted 24 first-rounders among his 50 career victories. Rousey has 11 first-round wins total.

And like Tyson, Rousey brings in non-UFC fans, with many remarking on social media that Saturday night’s fight was the first they’d purchased. Such is the excitement she brings. Such is her importance to UFC’s growth.

“You don’t see women knock women out like that, the way that she knocked her out,” UFC president Dana White told Fox Sports 1 after Rousey’s dispatch of Correia. “She can do it all. Ronda just gets better every time she fights.”

That’s why UFC neophytes should heed this advice: Be in your seat when Rousey hits the octagon. She now has finished opponents in 14 seconds, 16 seconds, 25 seconds (twice), 34 seconds, 39 seconds and 49 seconds. Other foes have lasted just 1:06, 4:27 and 4:49. Miesha Tate — Rousey’s likely next opponent, White confirmed — once took her to the third round before submitting to her infamous armbar.

Rousey didn’t need that armbar Saturday night, instead standing up and trading hands with Correia, who mistakenly provided pre-fight motivation by seemingly joking about the champ’s father’s suicide. That didn’t sit well with Rousey, who mentioned the slight a few times before the fight and once again after she dispatched the Brazilian in front of her home fans.

“I hope no one brings up my family anymore when it comes to fights,” said Rousey, who dedicated the win to her late father and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, her nickname namesake who died Thursday night. “I hope this is the last time.”

Now the ranks of Rousey’s real challengers are thinning by the win. Just look behind her in the bantamweight rankings. Tate, the No. 1-ranked challenger to Rousey, has lost to her twice and most likely will a third time, no matter what she says. Cat Zingano, the No. 2 challenger, fell to Rousey in just 14 seconds earlier this year. Alexis Davis, the No. 3, lasted just two seconds longer than Zingano in 2014. Sara McMann, the No. 4, had the good fortune to go more than 1 minute before losing. Correia, the No. 5, was vanquished, insane pre-fight staredowns and all.

Invicta FC featherweight champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino looms as a dream opponent, but can she drop to 135 pounds? If so, she’d most definitely be the toughest task for Rousey, who’s fourth in UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.

She’s the only woman on the list.

Here, at just 28 years old, sits Ronda Rousey, on top of the world. Can she get any higher? She’ll try. She’ll train. And train. And train. With movie, commercial and magazine shoots mixed in, of course. She is the UFC, after all, and that comes with obligations, all of which she has fulfilled.